The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-04-27
DETHRONED.

the masculine passengers do, and he Is
more polite to the lady voyagers than the
average man passenger. For these COM
mendable qualities tho men form dislike
to him, and this dislike increases as. the
voyage is prolonged and as they SEQ how
much more his superficial accomplish
ments las they call them arc priced by
the ladies than their more solid and more
manly attributes. In the sacred precincts
Of the smoking room (which 1t need hardly
be said he does not frequent he is gen
orally alluded to as "the masher" or that
(adjective) dude"
Z. Charles Townsend, as the passenger
list called him, WAS q very handsome
young man, with clean shaven chin and
q well kept mustache that was pointed at
the ends, the points taking sprightly up
ward angle. III the morning he walked
tho deck with light, joyous, spriugy
step, and he wore check overcOat, with
a cape on the shoulders. The lapels Of
this cape were flung backward and he
breathed the morning air with an inno-
cent, chiltllike delight that caused the
young ladies' to say: "What good young
man Mr.. Townsend is How he loves the
pure, fresh air and never goes into that hor-
rid smoking ROOM" You may be surprised
that we knew what the young ladies said,
but it was all on account of Blfins.
Bliffins' wife was on board and WIS very
much in the confidence of the young
ladies. She told him and he told us-in
the smoking room. We tried to get Blif-
fins to prejudice his wife against E
Charles Townsend, in the hope that she
would poison the minds Of the young
ladies against him, but Bliffins wouldn't
do it.
To return to Townsend's walks on
deck. In the morning he wore sort Of
fore and aft cap made Of the same check
material as his overcoat-a cap that fitted
either end foremost In the afternoon he
wore dainty little silk turban cap and q
nice overcoat Of black. Toward evening
he put on an ulster with great buttons
and huge belt, and on his head was q
brown Tam O'Shanter, in which regret
to state he looked exceedingly handsome.
In these deck walks he never spoke to any
Of us as he passed by-nor we to him.
But when lady came on deck he was
there every time. He stopped in his walk,
brought his heels together in half mill
tary way that quite fascinated the girls
$50 Bliftlns' wife told HIM, and swept his
cap off with what Bliffins called most
captivating bow. Then, as the lady
gracefully reclined on her steamer chair,
Townsend in the most dainty manner
would tuck her rug around her, fixing It
just right, neat and trim, in manner
which no one else on the steamer could
even initiate, and with another elegant
bow he would resume his walk, after, re-
ceiving a sweet smile Of thanks from the
young lady SO snugly ensconced in her
reclining chair. The sight Of these dainty
tuckings up drove the more susceptible
members Of our party into the wild dis
sipation and cloudy atmosphere of the
smoking room. Bliffins reported that his
wife said that the young ladies told her
that they hated to move after the dear
Mr.. Townsend had tucked up the rugs,
for he made them such perfect picture
Of comfort. Then one after another the
ladies walked the deck with Mr.. Town
send. He accommodated his steps to
theirs, and inclined his head to hear what
they said in such condding way, with
such frank and genial smile on his face
that again all the masculine passengers
took to SWITCHBOARD or to moodily walk
ing the deck alone.
OF course Townsend had most to do
with the getting up of the usual concert,
and during the days of preparation we all
kept out Of the main saloon, where his
rich tenor voice could be heard with the
tinkling Of the piano, played by Miss
Granger, the prettiest girl on board. At
the concert e. Charles sang "My Queen
In way that called forth great applause
from the ladies, and he gave "Then You'll
Remember Me" as an encore When it
became evident that he was going to sing
the second time John Muggins rather os-
tentatiously got up and went out with an
air that said: "Oh, can't stand any more
of that kind Of singing" and yet Town
send sang exceedingly we'll In the smok-
ing room that evening Bliffins sat on the
edge Of one of the little round tables with
cigar in his mouth, dreamily putting and
gazing at the ceiling. At length he said
"Well, boys, don't know when heard a
finer voice than that of Townsend's. Gull
tivated, too"
Cultivated jackanapesr' cried Mug
gins. II make it next It's your play,
Brooklyn"
tits all very well to call him a jacka-
napes," )" continued Bltfins, serenely, "but
Icould tell you something about Il. Charles
Townsend that would make you sympa-
thize with him.
"Oh, stop itl' This from Muggins.
ITS my deal. We've heard plenty of
AoWhscHu lOr Uue nlRnt'
SIT seems" said Bliffins calmly. ssthat
he Is Lonesome young man, who has
never had the sweet and elevating in
auences of sisters affection. He admits
that he has become cynical and at times is
very despondent. But he thinks that
under the refining care Of a young lady
who would take a sisters interest in him
he is capable Of higher and nobler pur-
pose than has yet animated him."
RATS" cried the enraged Muggins.
"Do you want to be thrown overheard,
Bliffinsf Go on, deal out-deal out. Re.
fining fiddlesticksr'
my wife informs me, )" went on the i'm
perturbable Bliffins, ''that Miss Granger
believes 1t her duty to do what she can for
Townsend. You will all be pleased to
know that she is succeeding admirably, and
that Mr.. Townsend already feels his
doubts disappearing one by one. She Is
reading him extracts from book she has
entitled True Nobility by the Rev. Dr.
Scrudner, of Chicago, think, and she tells
my wife that Townsend's eagerness to be
guided by all that is noblest, and his child
"She means childish" muttered Mug
gins.
@"Childlike interest he takes in all
that goes to the elevating of the human
heart, has touched her deeply. What she
hopes''-
Muggins rose and uttering very, very
reprehensible word dashed down his cards
OH the table, drew his cap over his eyes
and went out on deck.
''Now, see here, Blifiins," said Brook
lyn slowly annoyed at having his game of
euchre broken up in that way, ''it's little
too bad of you to worry Muggins like that.
You know he S struck on Miss Granger,
and 1t isn't pleasant to hear that she's SO
gullibe as to be taken in with that masher's
sister-and-sympathy racket"
Blfiins sighed wearily, and knocked the
ashes from the end Of his cigar and said;
''I'll take Muggins' hand" which he
did, and peace was restored-in the smok-
ing room at least-although the maddehed
Muggins savagely paced the dark, wet
deck alone. Next day was very fine, and
most of the passengers were writing letters
to be posted when land was reached. E.
Charles had most dainty little writing
case, and he sat on his steamer chair and
wrote page after page. AS some OF the
girls passed him they ioked with him about
writing to some unknown fair one in
America, but he shook his head with q
sigh, and looking up with sad smile said
no, 1t had been his misfortune in life moi
to have any lady friends. He had a very
dear gentleman friend in New York, how.
ever, aud to him he was sending the letter
in proof whereof he showed them the firsI
page, which began: "Dear old Jim"
Muggins leaned with one arm on tn,
bulwark of the steamer and looked a
TOwnspnh with m urdar In bia ava rrb,